


Pillow Talk

by Meags09



Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: Extended 503 Written in the Stars, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Post-Revival, Spoilers for Final Four Words, a year in the life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-02-11
Packaged: 2018-09-14 19:15:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9199010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meags09/pseuds/Meags09
Summary: The best conversations happen in bed.





	1. Wedding Night

_November 5, 2016_

By the time the skies had darkened and the twinkle lights flickered on again, Lorelai was fading. Her night of staying awake, alternating between celebration and shock, had finally caught up with her. She'd wisely stuck to a single glass of wine after all the champagne she'd drank the night before, but her feet were beginning to throb and her eyelids were growing heavy. Gathering the wide skirt of her gown the best that she could, Lorelai began to scan the crowd for the man she'd just publicly pledged her life to. She finally spotted him standing beside Liz and TJ, his tie already undone, looking handsomely disheveled from the long day.

Lorelai made her way toward them, and as she approached, Liz looked up and noticed her, her eyes lighting up. "Lorelai! Oh, you look so beautiful!" She reached over, fawning and cooing over the luscious silk chiffon that cascaded in waves of white. "I've never seen a dress this beautiful," Liz remarked, fingering some of the intricate work.

"Yes, you have," Lorelai replied. When Liz looked up, puzzled, Lorelai grinned. "It's a reproduction of Jackie Kennedy's dress."

"Who's that?" asked TJ, and Liz just laughed, and rolled her eyes.

"She was JFK's wife, hon," Liz answered him, and she straightened to give her husband a squeeze on the shoulder.

"Oh, yeah, hey!" TJ said, his face lighting up in the way it did before he divulged something incredibly bizarre. "One of the guys in that vegetable cult said he knew who really killed JFK, he was going to show me his research before we got kicked out." He gave a half shrug. "Oh well."

"Well, I'm really glad to finally be your sister-in-law," Liz said, and she grabbed one of Lorelai hands. Lorelai grinned at her, the enthusiasm was infectious. Liz looked over at her brother. "And you got a good one."

Lorelai glanced over at Luke, who'd been silently watching the whole exchange, a small smile on his face. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his suit pants, and Lorelai felt a flash of love and adoration. She snaked her arm through the loop of his, and beamed up at him. "Yeah, I did pretty good," she said.

"Well, we need to go relieve the baby-sitter," Liz said reluctantly. "It was a great party."

"Yeah, good job on all the decoratin'," TJ added. With some hugs and farewells, Lorelai and Luke watched them walk away, Lorelai still clutching Luke's arm. Ever since they'd gotten back together at Rory's bon voyage party, Lorelai had noticed her tendency to hang on to him, like she was worried he would float away. If Luke had ever noticed it, he'd never said anything, although sometimes they shared a private smile while she clung to him, a silent conversation between them that reinforced their 'you're mine, and I'm yours' mantra they'd unconsciously adopted.

She twisted a little until she was in front of him, and reached her arms up to encircle his neck. "Take me home, husband," she said softly.

"You tired?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her. They swayed slightly to the music coming out of the speakers. Hep Alien had already played their sets, and their wedding guests had mostly dispersed. Pockets of conversation still lingered, but many of the people that had celebrated with them had drifted back to their homes, to tuck their children or themselves into bed.

"Yeah, it's been a crazy few days," she said. Luke jerked his head in the direction of the gazebo, and they began walking toward it. As they approached, Lorelai called out to Miss Patty, who was regally keeping court over the remaining guests. "Hey, Patty, would you mind letting everyone that's left know that we went home?"

"You got it, honey," she replied, with a wink. "You go enjoy some marital bliss, now." The newlyweds grinned at each other, and began the short walk toward home, Luke practically propping Lorelai up as she limped with only a slight exaggeration.

"Is Rory at the house?" he asked, giving her an extra squeeze as they turned onto Maple Street.

"No, she, um, she went to Nantucket with Mom," Lorelai said, hesitating.

The tone of Lorelai's voice made him pause, and he craned his neck toward her. "Did you… did something happen?" he asked.

"Ah, yeah," she replied vaguely. "Let's get inside and comfortable and I'll give you the scoop." Luke gave Lorelai his hand, and helped her ease her aching feet up the porch steps. She was about to open the door when Luke stopped her, his palms out.

"Wait," he said, then pushed open the door. With a swift move, he lifted her up, cradling her body against his chest, and carried her into the house, maneuvering her, the wedding dress, and all its accompanying fabric through the door.

"You're such a traditionalist," Lorelai giggled.

Luke grinned down at her. "Well, we've both been married before, but we'd never done it the right way," he said.

"True," she said, and he gently set her to the floor. She kicked off her shoes and murmured her appreciation, her toes uncurling and pressing against the cool wood floor. She lifted up her skirts and began to walk into the living room when she paused. "Wait," she said, and turned toward Luke, who'd already shrugged out of his suit jacket and was yanking off his tie.

"Yeah?" he asked, looking at her. He neatly hung up the jacket on the hook and Lorelai smiled slightly, the differences between them almost cute in the light of their nuptials.

"Get this dress off me," she said, and Luke raised an eyebrow. "I can't go up the stairs with all this chiffon," she explained, and he nodded. She turned so that he had full access to the back of the dress, and slowly, he pulled apart each eyelet closure. With each opening, Lorelai felt a little bit more relief as the tight material fell away. The skirt was so full, Luke had to push it down so that she could step out of it. "Oh my god, I can breathe again," she groaned, stretching her arms out over her head.

"I like this look better," Luke said, admiring her form in the white bra and panties that she wore underneath the dress.

"Like it enough to share it with all of Stars Hollow?" she asked, giving him a teasing smile over her shoulder as she began walking up the stairs.

"No," he replied, then tugged at the dress in the middle of the foyer. "What do you want me to do with this?" he called up the stairs.

"Just drape it over the couch," she called back. "Miss Celine wants to have it preserved or something." Her voice grew farther away as she entered their bedroom, and he heard her steps overhead. "Maybe it can go in the Kennedy family museum with the other one." With a chuckle and a sigh, he draped the dress over the couch as instructed, then began climbing the stairs.

When he entered their bathroom, he saw that the counter and the sink was now littered with what looked like thousands of tiny hairpins, and Lorelai was busily yanking plenty more from her mop of hair. He undressed, watching her warily as she removed all of the pins, ringlets beginning to slide down as she went.

"How many of those pin things did they use?" he asked, tossing his white shirt into the laundry basket.

"Probably a million or so," Lorelai replied, combing out her hair with her fingers, and finding yet more pins in the process. "I'm going to be digging these things out of my head until I'm 90."

"I don't know why you pinned it all up anyway," Luke replied. "It looks great when its down."

"Yeah, it was part of Mom's whole Kennedy theme," Lorelai said. "You know, it just seemed important to her, so I didn't fight her on it." She stopped for a moment, her hands going still mid-pull. "Is this what maturity is? Am I growing?" She met Luke's gaze in the mirror, and they smiled at each other. But Lorelai's grin faltered. "Speaking of growing," she said, biting her lip. Her hands dropped, and she gripped the side of the counter. "Rory's pregnant."

"What?" Luke sputtered, eyes widening. He faltered slightly as he stood. "I've gotta sit down." He fell onto the edge of the tub with a thunk, his hands gripping the porcelain lip. "It's not Jeff's, is it?" he asked.

"Jeff? Who's Jeff?" Lorelai replied, taken aback.

"You know, the guy that she was dating for two years, that guy," he said, lifting a hand and waving it around, in an indication of 'that guy'.

"Paul," Lorelai corrected. "And no, I'm pretty sure it's Logan."

"Logan? Huntzberger?" Luke was agog. "But that was years ago! When did they get back together?"

"They… didn't." Lorelai tossed a pin into the garbage can, feeling a shiver of satisfaction at the little pinging sound. "He's engaged to someone else. I guess they hooked up a few times when she was in London, and long story short, she's me."

"She's not you," Luke said, shaking his head. "Not that that would ever be a bad thing. But she's not. She's… she's _Rory_."

"Yeah, well, _Rory_ has a lot of decisions to make in the next few months," she said sadly. She turned her back toward the counter and leaned against it, facing Luke fully.

"What decisions?" Luke asked. "She's going to tell him and then either raise the baby alone or Logan's gonna step up. What other choice is there?"

"Luke," Lorelai said softly. "This isn't like it was when I was a kid. She's older, she's got choices. She can make decisions on her own. I mean, I never, not even for one minute, wanted to do anything but have my baby and raise her, but she doesn't have to."

"What are you saying?" Luke asked. "That's she'll… get rid of the baby?" He spat the words out like it pained him to say them, and maybe they did, because Lorelai felt a little pang herself at the implication.

"I'm not saying anything. Rory told me this morning and then said she was going to Nantucket to do some writing and some thinking."

"Ah," he said. "Well, then, I guess we'll just have to be here for her, no matter what she decides." Luke stood, dusting off his hands on the sides of his pants. "Almost ready for bed?" he asked.

"I need to get off all of this stuff," she said, waving her hand in front of her face, indicating all the makeup that Emily's bridal beauty team had painted her with. She had to admit that the women Emily had hired had done a great job. She looked great — like she'd gotten married 10 years ago, the way things were supposed to be. Gone was the saggy skin, the crow's feet, the fine lines. She was glowing, and even the aching fatigue she felt wasn't dulling her shine.

Luke shucked off his suit pants, hanging them carefully on a hanger behind the bathroom door. "I'm gonna let Paul Anka out," he said, and slipped out the door before she could so much as toss off a crude innuendo his way. Lorelai scrubbed off the makeup and smoothed her night cream on. She paused a minute to revel in everything that had happened. Even with the dark cloud of Rory's impending personal crisis, she felt light. Just the idea of having a partner to help her share the heavy emotional load meant one less weight, one that she was happy to be without.

Lorelai dropped her bra and panties to the floor, and stepped into the bedroom. She began to rifle through one of her drawers, hoping to find what she was looking for before Luke returned. The garment, ribbons of lace and satin, white with pink accents, had been buried deep inside the drawer in hopes that it would remain a surprise, but evidently she'd hidden it too well. Before she could get her hands on it, she heard Luke's footsteps on the stairs. Another frantic dig, and he'd crossed the room, making a beeline toward his naked wife.

"Mm," he murmured, sliding his warm hands around her waist, pressing his body up against her back.

"Wait!" Lorelai said. "I bought something special for tonight."

"Don't need it," Luke countered, nuzzling the soft spot behind her ear. He reached a hand up to palm her breast, circling his thumb around the nipple slowly, and Lorelai dropped the clothing she had in her hands, letting it fall back into the drawer with a sigh.

"You're very persuasive," she cooed, arching her breasts into his palms, letting his hands roam over her body. She reached behind her, grasping his hip and pulling him even closer. Her hands gripped the cotton of the sweatpants he must have donned before letting Paul Anka out. It sometimes amused Lorelai how modest Luke could be, how he had a distinct public face. There was no outrageous flirting in the diner, no necking in full view of others at the Black White and Read. But then when she got him alone, he let down all his defenses; he was unguarded and open, so willing to give and enthusiastic to receive.

Lorelai had been a modern woman in her decades of dating. She'd had, as she'd told Rory, several 3-night stands, short-lived relationships where, honestly, the whole thing began and ended in bed. There'd been a handful of partners, with varying degrees of finesse. But none had been so unapologetically open and intense like Luke was. He'd taken his no-nonsense practicality right into the bedroom, which could sound mechanical, but instead was lush and deep and loving. He didn't apologize for the occasional misstep. He didn't try to wow her with slick moves or seduction techniques. He didn't quake before her like she was some kind of goddess. He simply loved her, and let her love him.

"Off," she commanded, tugging at the fistful of cotton in her hands. One hand left its exploration of her beaded nipple and waiting breast, and he pushed down his pants, taking his boxers along with it. Lorelai felt his cock spring up against her back, warm and thick behind her.

"Come here," he said, turning her around to face him, and they both sighed at the feel of skin against skin, warm and soft. The only light in the room was the dim glow from the bathroom light, and it bathed them in sensuous shadows as they collapsed onto the bed. He moved over her, holding her hands loosely over her head, and she allowed him to take full control. They fit together so perfectly, aligning against each other like they were each half of an incomplete pair. Luke groaned as his cock pressed into her warm heat, moving slow to allow her to take him in, and once he was buried deep within her, captured her lips with possessiveness. Lorelai rocked her hips against his, craving the sweet friction that would bring release.

He let go of her wrists, and she left her hands above her head in an imitation of surrender. He pressed forward, circling his hips against hers, and she moaned. He began moving slowly, building her up with him, his eyes on hers as his breath came in short puffs. Lorelai felt the sensation curling in her belly, allowing the fire to ignite and travel through her veins, extending all the way down to her toes and fingers until she was on fire, gasping and sighing, Luke's name clinging to her lips. As Lorelai cried out with her release, Luke pushed harder, slamming his hips against hers, his biceps tight from both letting go and holding back. Lorelai pushed back against the headboard to cushion the strong thrusts until, with a guttural growl, Luke's climax was ripped from him.

Sweaty and spent, Luke slumped beside Lorelai. Shifting over to his side, he gathered her up in his arms, pressing an absent kiss to her forehead.

"Damn," she murmured into his chest, both of them heaving for breath. "I think we're just getting better at this."

"I'll say," he replied, lying back with his eyes closed, his head tilting upward toward the headboard.

Lorelai paused, looking over the planes of his face, his stubbled jaw working as he swallowed and attempted to calm his breathing. She took note of the slope of his nose, and the new creases by his eyes that had grown pronounced over the last few years. She knew she probably had creases of her own, but smart man that he was, he'd never point them out.

"When did you know?" she asked, letting her fingers skim over his graying whiskers, wanting to memorize every part of him. Her husband, after all of this time.

"Know what?" he grunted, sliding his arm under her back.

" _Know_ ," she urged. "That you loved me. That we were _it_."

"Ah," he said, chuckling slightly, still breathless. Their days of acrobatic sex were over. No more being taken against the wall in the storage room at the diner, or squeezing into a tiny shower stall, bent over backwards, huffing and panting and talking dirty. These days, getting hot and sexy on the couch was about the extent of their adventurousness, and afterward, Luke would have a crick in his neck for days that required a heating pad and lots of massaging. Not that either of them minded. Now, with the whole house to themselves plus one aging canine, loving each other in the safety of their bed was just as good, if not better. They had nothing to prove, not to anyone and not to each other.

"Well?" Lorelai demanded, the tingling in her limbs beginning to fade, and becoming replaced by a heavy blanket of softness and relaxation.

"Oh, you wanted an answer?" Luke said, his eyes fluttering open.

"Yes," Lorelai said, and she snuggled into his side, letting her hand drift from his chin down to his chest, where his heart still pounded from their exertions.

"The first time you walked into the diner," he replied.

"Aw, you're sweet," Lorelai said, with a grin. "But seriously, when?"

"I am serious," he said, turning his head to look her in the eye. "Maybe I didn't realize it for years, but I think it was instant. For me."

"Wow, really?" Lorelai asked. She sat up, wobbling slightly from the heaviness of her limbs, but the moment felt too important to lay back and let sleep overtake her. Luke's eyes dropped to her bare breasts almost reflexively, and slowly he returned his gaze back to her eyes.

"Yes," he said, his voice gravely and sincere. "Right away."

They stared at each other a moment. Then Lorelai swatted at his chest. "What took you so damn long?" she cried.

"Me?" he said, sitting up in the bed. "Lorelai, you weren't ready."

"What does _that_ mean?" she asked, and although she sounded irritated he could tell by the gleam in her eyes that she was playing at being mad. She was still too satisfied to work herself up to a real anger, a fact he knew about Lorelai that he frequently used to his advantage.

"Let's see," he said. "I had that horoscope for 8 years, so that means Rory was, what…"

"Eleven," Lorelai replied quickly. She'd already figured it out, her mind clicking through the past nearly immediately after the newsprint landed in her grasp.

"Eleven," Luke repeated. "She was still a kid. Would you have said yes even if I'd asked?"

Lorelai shrugged. "Probably. I went out on dates when Rory was a kid. I wasn't a nun."

"Any relationships that lasted past dessert?" Luke prodded. She opened her mouth to respond but after a moment, closed it again. She shook her head. "See?" he said. "And then it would have gotten all weird, seeing you every day, a date that went nowhere hanging over us."

"I never dated anyone from Stars Hollow until you," Lorelai admitted. "I wanted to keep my Rory life and my dating life separate." She sighed. "So, what, you just decided to wait until you thought I was ready?"

"Well, not really," Luke said. He scooted back to lean against the headboard, lifting his arm in invitation. Lorelai moved to be next to him, tucked into his side with his arm draped around her. She marveled again at how well their bodies fit together, like puzzle pieces. "Rachel came back not longer after I met you," he said after they'd gotten comfortable, pulling the blanket up to their waists.

"She did?" Lorelai said, surprised. "I thought that was long before I moved to town."

"Well, she'd been gone a few times before that. She left after high school, then came back, then left again, then came back. This time, she was so sincere. I really believed her."

"But she didn't stay."

"No. She didn't." Luke pressed a kiss to the side of her head, nuzzling a moment before pulling away. "It was the longest time that she stayed since the first time she left, so it's understandable that I thought it was really happening. Two years, she was here in Stars Hollow. She traveled a bit on odd photographing jobs for magazines and stuff, but she kept coming home and I thought it was real."

"I'm sorry," Lorelai offered, squeezing his hand.

"I'm not," Luke replied. "But by the time she left again, I knew you and Rory and I couldn't…" He lifted a hand, a gesture of helplessness. "Risk it."

"So, then, when you kissed me at the test run, you knew we were both ready?" Lorelai asked.

"Uhh," Luke said. "You know, I don't think _I_ was ready then," he admitted.

Lorelai pulled away, twisting her body to look at him. "What do you mean?" Lorelai asked softly. He reached out to push a curl out of her eyes, letting his hand linger on her cheek before dropping it back to his lap.

"I'd spent a lot of time alone," Luke said hesitantly. "I wasn't used to sharing my life with another person. And you were, well, _unexpectedly_ ready."

"I don't know what that means," Lorelai said, shaking her head slightly.

"You've gotta understand, Lorelai," Luke said, tipping his chin down, gazing at her through dark lashes. "I saw you go from relationship to relationship. I watched you get all excited about a guy, then once things seemed to be going somewhere, you ran. Literally, in some cases." Lorelai looked down, somewhat embarrassed. "I was almost expecting you to do the same to me. I never thought that I'd be the one to run."

"You— you didn't run," Lorelai said, her eyes snapping up again. "I ran. I went to Christopher." He winced. "Sorry," she mumbled.

He gathered her up in his arms again. It was almost as if just mentioning their year-long separation was enough to want him to eliminate any physical distance between them. She tucked her head underneath his chin, feeling the rumble of his voice against her body, reverberating in the cavity of his chest. "After your parents' vow renewal, I told you I couldn't do it anymore. I just said it, and I regretted it, but once you called me your ex-boyfriend, I thought it was too late to fix it."

"But it wasn't," murmured Lorelai.

"No, thank god." He pressed his face into her dark hair and inhaled the scent of her shampoo. Something floral with citrus. He loved the way she smelled, how her feminine products and potions scattered throughout the house, filling his head with the scent of her. It clung to their sheets, to his clothes. It permeated his whole existence now, reminding him of her, and of them. "And when we got back together I was so glad we had that second chance. Then we were engaged, and I just thought it would be perfect, you know?" He swallowed, hard. "But I ran away from you and tried to figure out the April thing without you. I didn't _literally_ run, but I blocked you out from following me, from helping. I thought I needed to do it myself. God, I don't know what I was thinking."

"Me, neither," she mumbled. "I felt so… bad," Lorelai said, lifting one shoulder in a small shrug.

"I hate that I made you feel that way," he said, his voice drenched with regret. "But see, that's why I wasn't ready. I said I was all in, but I wasn't. Not really."

"Why weren't you?" Lorelai asked softly.

"I… I don't know," Luke said slowly. He began to trace the length of her spine with his fingers, letting the pad of his index finger dip into each curve and bump. "I don't regret that time we spent together, but I know I didn't really think about what was expected of me." When his hand reached the nape of her neck, he let his hand cradle her head, twining his fingers through her thick hair. "I kept expecting you to leave."

"But you were right," Lorelai said, and he could hear her voice becoming thick with emotion.

"It wasn't all you," Luke said. "We've been over this. We were both at fault." She nodded against his chest, and he cradled her even closer.

"Do we have it right this time?" Lorelai asked.

Luke took in a deep breath. "To be together, we need to be partners. And I don't think I realized we were still not doing that until you went to do _Wild_."

"Even after I actually brought it up when we fought at the diner?" Lorelai asked, her voice still muffled into his chest.

"I guess that's when I started thinking about it," Luke said. "But I was ready to be before that. After Rory left to go on that bus thing, and we had the party, I don't think that we would have lasted if we hadn't both been ready. We just didn't know… _how_." Lorelai nodded against him again, winding her arms around Luke's waist. "And in a weird way, I think April helped me get there."

"Helped you be ready to be a partner?" Lorelai asked, sitting up again. Luke leaned forward, and kissed her lips gently.

"She stopped me from hiding, and closing myself off again. I mean, she was there, I couldn't just disappear."

"That's true," Lorelai said, with a slight smile.

"When Rachel kept leaving, it was easier to just close in on myself, you know? It was protective. I just stopped caring about others. I did what I had to do."

Lorelai gave him a sad look. "Luke, that's not true at all," she admonished. "You've always cared."

"There's a difference between doing the right thing and actually letting people into your life." His lips quirked into a small smile. "But I've got a soft spot for smart women that talk really fast."

Lorelai smiled bashfully, feeling her heart surge with warmth for this man. The man that she chose, and who chose her, again and again. "So, it was love at first sight, then?" she teased, poking him gently in the chest. He caught her finger with his hand, and with a swift movement, curled an arm around her waist, laying her down on the bed beside him. Before easing himself down beside her, he pulled the blanket up over their naked bodies to ward off the late night chill.

Lorelai snuggled into the blankets again, curling up into his side. "I hope Rory doesn't have to do it alone," she said quietly.

"She'll be great," Luke replied, stretching an arm to lay over his head. "She's got us for back up, she's not alone. Whatever she decides."

"I mean, I want her to have a partner," Lorelai said. "That's all any mother wants, for their kids to do better than they did." She sighed. "If only she could find her own Luke, and cut out all that pesky waiting time." She craned her neck to look up at him and grinned lasciviously. "Lots of perks to having a sexy guy around."

"Don't even go there," Luke said. "I prefer to consider her as close to wearing a wimple as possible."

"You do remember she's pregnant," Lorelai replied, raising an eyebrow. "Did you sleep through tenth grade biology?"

"As far as I'm concerned, she conceived immaculately and we are about to witness the second coming of Jesus." He shifted, clearing his throat. "Or the next Gandhi or Zeus or whatever."

"You seem sure she's having a boy," Lorelai said. "What about Wonder Woman, Mother Teresa, or Hera?"

"The world isn't ready for another Gilmore girl," Luke replied with a snort. Lorelai giggled, her eyes drifting shut.

The darkness in the room tucked them into their little cocoon, shut off from the pressing questions and demands of daily life. Here, in their room, they were shut away from the world. He listened to the steady breaths beside him, and licked his lips a couple of times. "So," he finally asked, "when did _you_ know?"

"Huh?" Lorelai mumbled, already drifting off to sleep.

"Never mind," Luke said gently. "Go to sleep."

"Mmm," she replied. He inhaled deeply, and let his body relax into the mattress. His mind was already slowing, his breaths coming deep and even, when he heard Lorelai stir slightly. "When you loaned me $30,000 without a question and no strings attached," she mumbled. "You _believed_ in me."

In the dark room, a smile played at the corners of Luke's lips before he drifted to sleep.


	2. First Date

_September 2004_

Maisie pressed the nearly full bottle of champagne into Luke's hand as they stood to leave. "Aw, no, Maisie," he began to say, but was silenced with a stern glare.

"You take this young lady home and offer her a drink," Maisie said, her mouth quirking up in a smile despite her severe tone. "Be a gentleman, Lucas." Lorelai giggled as Luke gave a weary sigh, turning to give the older woman a quick hug.

"Tell Buddy we said goodnight," Luke said, stepping forward.

"Will do," she said, her gaze landing on Lorelai. "You bring this one back, you hear me?" Luke reached back to grasp Lorelai's hand, and she beamed at him.

"That's the plan," he said, and he winked. Lorelai felt her pulse increasing, and her limbs began to feel warm. She couldn't wait to get him back to her place, or his place, or maybe parked on a deserted side street, and make him see stars.

The evening was cool, but the shivers running up and down her arms weren't due to the chill. She could almost see the heat emanating from Luke's body. He was walking so close to her, when before there was always a respectable distance between them. She occasionally got a whiff of soap or cologne or some other smell that was still Luke but something just a bit more than that, accentuating his maleness.

She'd been on loads of first dates before, but none of them had carried as much weight as this one.

That was the thing about first dates, wasn't it? The stakes are low. It is a "is this worth pursuing?" date. It is a "does he talk with his mouth full?" date, where weird habits could make themselves known, and decisions had to be made if those habits were going to become deal breakers. Usually, one or both parties knew long before dessert if this was going to be the first of many, or just a one-off that would be reduced to an anecdote. But this date was not like that. This date had 8 years of unresolved tension, 8 years of leaning on each other, 8 years of being friends; all capped by one fucking amazing kiss.

Luke opened the passenger door, and Lorelai slid over onto the bench seat. He handed her the champagne, and she gripped the sweaty glass bottle with both hands, suppressing the urge to push it against the apex of her legs. She was throbbing. How did Luke look so calm? Had he taken care of business before the date, There's Something About Mary style? Why hadn't she done that?

"So, did you actually want to drink that?" Luke asked, glancing over at her, the bottle secure in her lap.

"I don't want the date to be over," Lorelai replied, "so if drinking this is the ticket to keep the party going, then I'm in."

Luke chuckled. "I can probably find something else in the diner if you prefer."

"Sure," Lorelai said, and she felt butterflies in her lower abdomen as he put the truck into gear and pulled out of the parking lot.

The energy between them crackled. Lorelai kept glancing over at him, trying to be furtive, but eventually he sighed wearily. "What?" he asked, his gaze flicking over to her before returning to the road in front of them.

"Nothing," she replied, too quickly. He shot her a quick look, skepticism raising his brow. She made a frustrated noise, mostly from the inner struggle she was having on whether to stay on her side of the truck or risk distracting the driver.

"Did I…" Luke began, and hesitated. "Did I freak you out?"

"Huh?" Lorelai replied, her lustful thoughts on hold for the moment.

"You didn't really say anything, before," he said, and she noticed that his hands were gripping the steering wheel more tightly than necessary. She grinned, taken by how adorable his nervousness was. Lorelai was past being controlled by her nerves. All she could think about was the fact that they'd barely been able to touch each other in 7 weeks. That soon his hands would be all over her—hopefully naked—body.

"I liked it," Lorelai replied, leaning back against the vinyl seat, allowing herself to press the bottle of champagne slightly closer to her center. "I like you," she said, then added, "I like us."

"Okay," he said, and she noticed his lips curving slightly into a smile. "Okay," he repeated, and then they were pulling into his usual parking space behind the diner.

He unlocked the door to the apartment above the diner and ushered her inside.

"Let me put this in ice," Luke said, dropping his jacket over the back of a chair. He opened a few cabinets, looking for something, eventually pulling out a stainless steel ice bucket. Lorelai watched with avid curiosity.

"You have an ice bucket?" she said incredulously. He glanced over his shoulder at her. She shrugged. "I just never pictured you to have stuff like that, just lying around."

"I don't know how it got here," he admitted, setting it on the table. He pulled out a tray of ice cubes from the freezer, and with a practiced movement, dumped them into the bucket. He nestled the champagne into it.

"Nicole?" Lorelai asked, and hated the tinge of jealousy that colored her voice.

He looked up, a slight smirk on his lips. "No." He went back to fitting the champagne into the ice. "She never stayed here, so she never brought anything over."

"Oh," Lorelai said. She didn't know how to reply to that. Generally, hearing something like that would evoke sympathy, especially considering _his_ _own wife_ probably thought this apartment was beneath her, and didn't deign to bring her skinny ass into it. But she wasn't sorry. She was _glad_. Because now, she was here, and she'd leave all kinds of her stuff scattered around the place if it would mark him as hers.

"So, do you want some of this, or I can go downstairs and make you some coffee…" He trailed off, hesitating, suddenly appearing shy. Lorelai was standing in the middle of the apartment, and it all seemed to be now, this moment, that would set the stage for everything to come after. He'd already made the first leap—or leaps, really. He'd asked her to the wedding, to the movie, to dance. He'd asked her to stand still and kissed her, and made her forget her own name. He'd inspired 7 weeks of pining, waiting for him to get home. He'd given her jewelry. Asked her on a date, and took her to meet his parental stand-ins. And now, it was her turn to leap, and by god, she was going to jump with both feet.

She walked over to him, almost expecting him to back away, move a table between them like Max had, but instead, he was solid and strong and let her come to him. She felt like a predator, slinking toward her kill, but his eyes were encouraging her forward movement. She pressed a palm to his chest, and felt his heart beating wildly. "Kiss me," she whispered, looking up at him, and he didn't hesitate. He bent down, pressed his lips to hers gently, and she curled her fingers around his soft shirt. Not as soft as the flannel would be, she presumed, and the thought of pressing him up against the wall in the diner in his everyday attire ratcheted up her desire tenfold.

She leaned into him, wanting to feel the entire length of his body against hers, not leaving any space between them. Their lips continued to meet in soft kisses, and she spread her palms over his chest before linking them behind his neck.

He pulled back a little, and Lorelai felt the loss of him acutely, even though they were still pressed up pretty closely against each other. She wanted to rip his clothes off and curl up next to him. Feel his warm skin, his strong muscles holding her closely to his body. She wanted to see if every one of her curves would line up into the grooves of his body, if they were a perfect match.

"We can wait," he murmured, his voice husky and low and so, so sexy. Her daydream of imagining the two of them clinging to each other in post-coital nakedness was brought to a screeching halt.

"Wait?" she asked, pulling away even more, looking at him. His eyes were darkened with desire and his lips were parted, but along with lust she also saw warmth and concern and all those things that she loved about Luke.

"Yeah. We can wait," Luke said again, and she felt his hands flex slightly around her hips. She smiled. He did _not_ want to wait. She could see the tension in his shoulders, feel the pulsing of his body against hers. The heat and scent she had experienced in the parking lot of the restaurant was in full force. Not only that, she could feel the bulge in his pants against her pelvis. He was like a tiger, coiled, wanting to pounce but trying so hard to fight against it.

"So, you'd be totally fine with waiting?" she asked again, trying so hard to keep a straight face.

He sighed, trying not to look exasperated, but Luke didn't have a great poker face when pressed up against her, alone in his apartment. "Yes," he ground out, and she saw the tension rippling across his shoulders.

Lorelai couldn't stop herself. "You _are_ really good at waiting," she replied with mock seriousness. "I mean, 8 years."

"Lorelai," he began, but she pressed her hand to his pants, right over his straining cock. He sucked in a deep breath.

"How do you feel about waiting now?"

"Not a fan," he said, through gritted teeth.

"Are you going to show me how good you are at waiting?" Lorelai said, her voice dropping to a purr. She pressed her hand to him firmly, felt his cock growing against her hand.

"You make me crazy," he groaned.

"Crazy hot, right?" She grinned. "You make it so easy to torture you."

"By what? Existing?" he choked out, as Lorelai's hand began to massage him gently. He clutched at her hips, nearly thrusting into her hand.

"You can punish me, if you like," she murmured, reaching up to kiss him. But before her lips could touch his, he grabbed her upper arms and began leading her towards the bed.

She felt her pulse quicken at the thought of Luke losing control, his eyes nearly black with desire as he maneuvered her around the furniture. Her knees hit the back of the bed and he pushed her down with his weight, his lips capturing hers firmly. Her hips bucked against his, the action involuntary, her body aching to be filled with him, to have nothing between them any longer. He moaned, low and deep and intoxicating, against her lips, before pushing upright.

Her legs dangled over the side of the bed, and he stood over her, his hands pulling at the button fly on her jeans. He began to yank them down, but the material was hugging her hips so tightly, and oh god, she prepared so poorly for this date.

"How do you get these on?" he huffed, perspiration beginning to dot his hairline slightly as he pulled.

"You said these jeans were working for you," Lorelai replied breathlessly. She sat up and began to unbutton his blue dress shirt, her fingers making quick work of the buttons, until she made it to the waist of his trousers. She pulled the shirt up, but the line of chest hair disappearing into his pants made her change course quickly. Luke had been frozen as she undressed him, but as her hands pulled at the fly of his pants, he joined her, pushed them down and toeing off his socks and shoes. He stood before her, modestly still wearing his boxer briefs, which were tented with his tantalizing length. She licked her lips, staring at him.

"Lorelai?" he murmured, and she shook herself out of her daze. She looked up at him. His lips were parted, and he was looking down at her with undisguised lust. A shock of desire went through her, and she reached for the bottom of her own shirt, pulling it off with flourish. She tossed it behind her somewhere. It didn't matter. She was going to stay all night. There would be no walk of shame. Maybe she would hang out of his window the next morning, calling over to Miss Patty's that _yes_ , Luke was a love god, and he was all hers, _thankyouverymuch_. She reached behind her back to unsnap her bra, which soon joined her shirt in Never Never Land, and then began to push down her own jeans, cursing the thought process that went into choosing them for tonight.

In the middle of her internal monologue about the jeans, Luke leaned forward and grasped the back of her neck with his hand. She stilled her furious movements to get naked, and he kissed her again, the tip of his tongue sliding along the seam of her closed lips until she opened for him. As their tongues slid against each other, she felt his warm palm on her ass, sliding down the back of her leg, and she realized he was successfully removing the jeans, as if kisses alone could get them off. She pulled at her underwear, which soon joined the rest of her clothes.

She wrapped her legs around his waist as he leaned over her, feet still planted on the floor. Wantonly, she undulated against him, craving the friction of their bodies. "Oh god, Lorelai," he groaned. He unhooked her legs and pushed down his boxers. He took a step away from her, but when she looked up to see where he was going, she was distracted by the first look at his cock, long and hard, and she wondered if she would orgasm before he'd even touched her.

He picked up the trousers pooled at his feet and dug around in the back pocket, pulling out his wallet. He tossed it at her. "Inside pocket," he muttered, his chest heaving, the open shirt fluttering with each heavy inhale. Lorelai opened it with shaking hands while he yanked his arms out of his shirt sleeves, extracting a foil wrapped package. She offered it to him, and he ripped it open with his teeth. She watched, more aroused than she could ever remember being, as he slid the condom over his cock. She felt her mouth water. God, he was beautiful.

But she didn't have time to marvel over his body, because he descended on her again, and her opening was so wet and ready that he pushed in without any resistance. He thrust a few times, as she clung to his neck, overwhelmed by the sensation of him filling her. He grabbed one of her legs and pulled it around his waist and rocked against her. After a few thrusts he pulled out completely, and Lorelai was about to squawk a protest when he flipped her over to her stomach.

"Get your knees up," he said behind her, and she felt a shiver of anticipation. This was not how she expected their first time to go. First times are usually truly wretched, fumbling and guessing at things, too nervous to actually be truthful. Or they border almost on politeness, not willing to let too many kinks show for fear of rejection. But she'd pushed Luke, and he was in full rant mode, the passion and fire igniting the spark between them into an explosion. She crawled up onto the bed, on her hands and knees. She gripped the blankets in her fist. She felt Luke spread his large, warm hands over her lower back, caressing the curve of her ass. He gently pushed her legs apart slightly, then he pushed his cock inside her again. He continued to let his hands roam over her, as he thrust slowly. Just as she was about to beg him to go harder, he slipped his hand around and flicked her clit with his thumb.

"Ah!" she cried, both in surprise and pleasure. He continued to play with her, moving his fingers up and around her labia, before flicking her again. She could feel the pressure building inside of her, and she began to push back against his hips, rocking with him, completely losing herself in the sensation of their lovemaking. Her climax burst from her like an explosion, and she collapsed down onto the bed, unable to hold herself up.

Her head felt fuzzy, and her limbs were liquid. Luke's hands moved over her body in slow circles, and she eased herself over onto her back. Her eyes glanced down to his cock, still erect, and she parted her legs in invitation to him. Wordlessly, he moved between her, sliding back inside of her like he belonged there, and he moved in and out, circling his hips slightly whenever he was deep inside of her. "I'm coming again," she murmured, and her second orgasm unfurled like a flower, spreading from her pelvis out to the tips of her toes and her fingers, filling her with warmth.

Somehow, Luke was still thrusting into her, and when she looked up at him, his eyes were focused on her. "Luke?" she said, reaching up to touch his face. He bent down and kissed her.

"Can I go a little harder?" he murmured into her ear. She felt shivers from his breath against her cheek, and she murmured agreement. His right hand grabbed her leg and suddenly, his hips crashed into hers and she yelped in surprise. "Okay?" he asked, and she barely had time to gasp a "yes" before he slammed back into her.

"Oh god!" she cried, holding on to his shoulders as they collided over and over. When the flicker of climax ignited in her belly for the third time, she almost didn't believe it. His back was tense from the strain, and she wondered if he was still holding back. The thought of him bucking into her even more wildly than this pushed her over the edge again, and she arched her back, a loud moan erupting from her body as she shuddered around him again.

With a deep groan, Luke's body jerked, and he gasped out her name. She could feel him pulsing inside of her as he finally climaxed, the hand still holding up her leg clutching the back of her thigh. He squeezed slightly as he attempted to slow his breathing, massaging her gently before leaning down to kiss her.

After a few moments spent catching their breath, Luke pushed away from her, and gently moved a strand of hair away from her eyes. Her entire body was still throbbing with the aftershocks, and she swallowed hard, trying to calm her racing heart. "I have to take care of this," he said, indicating the place where their bodies were still connected, the thin layer of latex the only barrier between them. Lorelai decided immediately that she was going to call her doctor the next day and get on the pill. Or something. Because she didn't want him to go anywhere but curl up around her after anything so incredible.

He pulled out of her slowly, gripping the base of the condom, and then walked around the bed into the bathroom. Lorelai laid on the bed, her legs still spread, and feeling the air on her sweaty skin. She shivered slightly. She sat up, feeling the delicious ache in her body. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been ravished so thoroughly, if ever. Across the room, the lonely bottle of champagne sat in the ice bucket, forgotten. She got up quickly and padded over, bringing it back to rest on the table beside the bed. Luke came out of the bathroom as she was slipping back into the bed, pulling the covers up over her for warmth.

He slid in beside her, his hips and thighs pressed against hers, and she relished the warmth from his body. It eased the shivering, and she nestled closer.

"You okay?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," she replied, snuggling closer. "I brought the champagne over," she said.

"All yours," he said. Lorelai reached under the covers and pulled out his hand, smoothing her fingers over the creases and calluses, learning the shape of him. Everything about him was so new yet so familiar. It was like she was seeing him for the first time, but all at once, it was like they'd been together for years.

"I can't believe you kept that horoscope," she murmured.

"You're just lucky I never clean out my wallet," Luke replied, but she shook her head.

"You can't take it back now. You've exposed yourself. You've been pining for me."

"I have not been pining," he said with a chuckle.

"I'm your Ava Gardner," she intoned, a slight teasing tone accompanying her words.

"God help me." He looked over at her and sighed. "Okay. Let's get something out of the way right now." He leaned away from her.

"What? What are you doing?" Lorelai asked, a slight bubble of panic rising up inside of her. He was pulling away? Was he about to tell her that she had to leave?

But when he went back to his place beside her, he had a notebook and a pencil in his hands. Her panic subsided. "Tell me what CDs to get so I don't have to hear about it," he said.

Lorelai's mouth dropped slightly. "Seriously?" She felt her heart swell. It was at that moment she knew she was going to fall hard for this man.

"And skip any 80s groups where the guys dressed up like pirates. I draw the line at pirates," he said.

Lorelai pressed her lips to his shoulder, snuggling closer. "This has been a really great first date," she murmured, suppressing the urge to proclaim her undying love for this man.

"Only took us 8 years to get here," he replied, turning his head toward her. She tipped her head toward his for a kiss, and Lorelai felt her arousal growing again already. She doubted that Luke would be ready to toss the pad and go for round two already, so she pulled back and tapped on the paper.

"Okay. So, U2, right?" he said, holding the pencil poised for writing.

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, Bono is a must, and Blondie, and um, ooh! Sparks, especially the new one, plus Bowie."

"Okay," he said, pausing mid-scribble to glance over at her, "I know he dressed up like a pirate."

"Space man," Lorelai corrected.

"Space man I can deal with," he replied, scrawling the name onto the paper, along with the rest of the names Lorelai had rattled off.

"Tower Records is gonna love you," Lorelai said, as Luke tossed the paper and pencil back onto the table.

"Hm," Luke grunted. Lorelai rolled slightly, slipping her leg in between his, turning so that she was resting her chin on his chest, looking up at him. He immediately put his arms around her, and Lorelai smiled. They _did_ fit together like puzzle pieces, just as she had imagined.

"So what are your thoughts on waiting now?" Lorelai teased. Luke rolled his eyes. "Took that gentleman stuff to heart, didn't you?"

"I just didn't want to make any assumptions," he said, smoothing his hand down her back.

"Does that mean you weren't going to take me up room number seven and rock my world if we hadn't been interrupted?"

Luke looked at her blankly. "What?" he asked.

"The test run? You were in room seven."

"Oh," he replied. "Ah, well, I didn't exactly have a plan."

"No, you were just crazed with jealousy."

"I was not crazed," he retorted, and slipped his hand down her back to smack her bottom lightly.

"Are you kidding?" Lorelai asked, grinning. "You almost peed around the grounds. You know," she dropped her voice in a mocking imitation of Luke, "the inn that I invested in."

"Not one of my finer moments," Luke replied with a smirk.

"You're lucky I find your rants extremely sexy."

"Is that so?" he said, his palm squeezing one round cheek, and Lorelai nearly purred from the sensation. Damn, he was good at this.

"You were supposed to tell me what you find sexy about me," Lorelai said, arching her back a little, pushing her ass even more fully into his hands.

"I was?" he said, and she could feel his cock starting to to expand beneath her hips again.

"Yeah," she replied, unmistakeable arousal making her voice breathy. "Something about other aspects of my being."

"Right," he murmured, his grip on her ass getting tighter as his cock hardened. Lorelai pulled herself up to straddle him, his erection slipping between her folds, still wet and warm from before. She put her hands on his chest and pressed down, sliding back and forth against him, making his eyes roll back into his head in an almost comic display. "Drawer," he muttered, pointing weakly to the bedside table, and Lorelai reached over him to open it, pulling out another condom. Her breasts dangled in front of his face, and he flicked his tongue on one rosy nipple, causing her to gasp and nearly drop the package back into the drawer.

Recovering slightly, she sat on him again, and he reached for the foil square. "Uh-uh," she said, pulling it out of his reach. "You need to tell me about my sexy being first," she said, trying to sound admonishing, but her arousal gave her away.

"Do you get off on making me crazy?" Luke asked, equally breathless.

"It's a perk," she replied saucily. "Makes you rethink all of that diner counter banter, doesn't it?" Luke groaned, and she grinned, but before she could follow up with another retort, he'd flipped her over onto her back, and snatched the condom from her.

"You make me crazy," he muttered, ripping open the package, and rolling it over his straining cock. He pushed inside of her, and they paused slightly as they were reunited after so brief a pause.

"Good crazy?" Lorelai gasped, reached her hand up to grip his shoulder, letting it slide up his neck to tangle in his hair.

"So good," he muttered, bending down to kiss her sweetly. "You're beautiful, Lorelai," he continued, letting his movements in and out of her dip slowly, and his lips moved down the line of her jaw, nipping gently down her skin. His deep voice vibrated against her cheek, and she tightened her grip around him. "My god," he murmured, tangling his own hand in her hair. "Every part of you is amazing. You're the strongest person I know."

"Oh, Luke," Lorelai whispered, feeling warmth spreading through her body again. Again? How was this even possible?

"And besides that," he said, pushing deeply into her, letting their hips press flush against each other, connected so intimately, "you are probably the sexiest woman I've seen in my entire life." His hand moved from her hair down the side of her body all the way to the back of her thigh. "Your legs are so long and sexy, and even better when they're wrapped around me." The hand moved back up, stopping at the side of her breast, and his thumb circled the erect peak lazily. "Every curve is mouthwatering," he murmured, and Lorelai arched her back up into his touch, feeling the spark igniting her.

"I've never come this many times in one night," Lorelai gasped, sounding awed and full of disbelief. "It's you," she breathed, letting the waves roll over her again, her tight grip around his neck loosening as her release swept over her.

"Us," he corrected softly, and he pulled her tightly against him, slipping his hand from her breast to underneath the small of her back. They rocked against each other until Luke came with a choke and a gasp, arms holding on to each other, almost as if they were afraid to let go.

They stayed together for several long moments, quiet except for the sound of breathing. Eventually, Luke got up to dispose of the condom, and when he returned, he curled his body around hers, and entwined their fingers together.

"Mmm," Lorelai hummed, feeling the delicious satiety and warmth of their bodies pressed so closely together. "It's a good thing you didn't ravish me the night of the test run. I would have followed you to Maine and my business would have tanked before it even started."

Luke chuckled against her back. "After I saw you when I brought Kirk back, I thought for sure I'd ruined everything."

"Ruined everything?" Lorelai wondered aloud. "Why would you think that?"

He squeezed her hand. "You could barely look at me."

Lorelai turned her head to look into his eyes. "It wasn't you," she said softly. "Rory and I had an argument. A bad one."

"Oh," he replied, meeting her gaze with serious concern. "Did you figure it out? She doesn't have a problem with us, does she?"

Lorelai smiled, and then nuzzled her head into his shoulder. "It wasn't about you and me. And, yeah, I think we figured it out."

"Good," he said, his arms holding her to him tightly. For the first time in a very long time, Lorelai felt completely safe. After a beat of silence, he spoke again. "Did you _want_ me to ravish you that night?"

Lorelai rolled over, so that they were facing each other, their chests pressed flush against each other. She looked deeply into his eyes. "It was a _really_ good kiss," she said at last.


End file.
